The Church Must Accurately Interpret Prophecy!

We must approach the prophetic with Holy fear and reverence. We can not afford to misinterpret God's message. Accurate interpretation of prophecy is critical to the mission of the Church. If we don't know then we don't know! We need to wait for God's revelation in the matter. There are times and seasons for God's message. For example, much of the writings of Daniel have dual applications. They were to reach out over the expanse of time affecting succeeding generations. However, the last chapter deals with the last days of Israel and we can conclude from the language that the revelation of these prophecies will be understood in God's timing. Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” He appears to indicate that “as the end approaches that people will travel about seeking to discover what the future holds. Even Daniel did not understand all the prophecies.”⁵ Daniel 12:8, “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” The Message, p.14, available at Amazon.com.

5 Ryrie, Charles C. (1978). Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, note on Daniel 12:4